


Pumpkin Pie and Slow Dancing

by dramaticinsanity



Category: The Flash (TV 2014)
Genre: Bad Parenting, Dante's death, Family Issues, M/M, Thanksgiving, brief mentions of alcohol
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-13
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-09-17 16:09:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,784
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16977765
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dramaticinsanity/pseuds/dramaticinsanity
Summary: Cisco attempts to spend the holiday with his family, despite how they've mistreated him in the past.





	Pumpkin Pie and Slow Dancing

**Author's Note:**

> This is very late. ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯

When Cisco sees the breach alert, he runs. 

 

When Harry and Jesse step through the portal, he freezes. His heart pounds and his palms sweat, and he doesn’t know what he wants more: to punch Harry with his fist or with his lips. 

 

He hears a high-pitched sound. It might have come from his throat. Then Harry smiles at him, and he gapes like a fish. As though he’s underwater, he hears the garbled voices of the rest of the team greeting their Earth two friends.

 

Suddenly, Harry is directly in front of him. His eyebrows are scrunched, he looks concerned. Cisco is certain he has a reason to be looking at him that way, but he can’t remember why.

 

“Ramon?”

 

Cisco glances down. Harry is holding his hand. Does this mean..?

 

Fingertips slide over his bandages. “Who did this to you?” 

 

Harry glares over his shoulder at the rest of the team. “Why did no one tell me?”

 

There’s a flurry of excuses, about not wanting to bother him, about him deserving a break from all of Earth one’s metahuman criminal problems. He notices Nora, explanations spill out, then Harry is charging forward. Everyone is yelling. Sherloque stands off the side, awkwardly. His eyes dart between Harry and Cisco. His gaze lingers on Cisco. 

 

Cisco flips out his bandaged palms and shouts, “Everyone just stop!”

  
Silence drapes over the group like a blanket. They all stare at him, except Sherloque, who is interested in his shoes. A hand lands on his shoulder. It’s Jesse. 

 

“Cisco, are you OK? Do you need to -”

 

He shrugs her off. He slips between the bodies and leaves. He grinds the heels of his hands into his eyes. He is absolutely not going to cry. It’s all too much.

 

He couldn’t take seeing Harry again, all of his suppressed feelings rising to the surface.

 

He couldn’t take the team walking on eggshells around him on the anniversary of Dante’s death a couple months ago, yet not saying anything or offering comfort.

 

He couldn’t take seeing his parents on Thanksgiving, but he was going to do it anyway.

 

He couldn’t take everyone pretending to care one minute and forgetting he exists the next.

 

He couldn’t take the loss of his powers. He’s a hero without them to be sure, but he was just starting to really enjoy connecting with the vibes of the universe and kicking ass.

 

He thought he’d found his family, but it feels like the same cycles over and over again.

 

Cisco collapses in a chair in his workshop, his tears spilling onto his fingers. Harsh sobs are ripped out of him. No one has even asked him where he’s spending Thanksgiving. They just assume.

 

The past few years, he’s been alright with the holiday, spending it with his friends, feeling a sense of belonging and familial love. Sherloque’s recent words, on himself, Cisco, and Caitlin not actually having anything to celebrate has well, filled him with bad vibes. All the negative associations have been bombarding his mind full force, dampening any good feelings he had toward this sham of a holiday.

 

At the sound of soft footsteps, he springs out of the chair and aggressively wipes the tears away. He turns around and is surprised to see it’s Harry. He would even expect Ralph sooner than Harry, but he remembers Ralph already made the commute to see his family in another state.

 

“What are you doing here, Harry? Showing up out the blue after - you’ve got some kinda nerve.” At the moment, Cisco doesn’t care how heartless he sounds. He knows he’ll regret it later.

 

“I missed you too.”

 

Cisco sniffles. “Yeah, you can’t throw my stuff around and bicker with me on Earth two.”

 

Harry rolls his eyes. 

 

Harry hugs him. Cisco’s intake of breath is so sharp it almost hurts. The shock fades, and he lets himself relax into Harry’s arms. He wraps his own around Harry and sighs.

 

When they separate, Harry tells him, “Jesse thought it would be a good idea to celebrate Thanksgiving here. Although according to my research, you don’t have a contest to see who can throw a cantaloupe the furthest or carve the turkey with increasingly improbable and potentially dangerous tools.”

 

Cisco chuckles at that. “All Jesse’s idea huh? And - cantaloupe?”

 

“Perhaps the team would be open to it.”

 

“Your Earth is so weird.”

 

Harry smiles, again. It’s unsettling. “Says you.”

 

Cisco can’t bear to look into Harry’s ice blue eyes for long, so he averts his gaze to examine his hands. One of them has broken open somehow, the bandage stained with blood. Due to the position of the wounds, and possibly the nature of the cause, healing has been a long and difficult road. Not to mention he keeps using his powers when he should be resting them.

 

He just wants to help. 

 

Harry cradles the bleeding hand in his own. “Need help with this?”

 

Cisco swallows, his eyes tearing up again. “I- I can manage.”

 

He does manage. Harry hovers over his shoulder the whole time, but Cisco finds himself not minding the attention. It’s how low he’s sunk. Then Harry leans forward and sniffs. Cisco tenses and glares at him.

 

“Have you been drinking?”

 

Cisco doesn’t respond. He tightens his bandage with jerky motions and pretends to tinker with something on the work table.

 

“Ramon.”

 

“I can stop anytime I want!”

 

“Right.” Harry sighs. “I’m not your mother, I won’t hassle you. Just please, be responsible. For your sake and others.”

 

Cisco clenches his fist at the mention of motherliness. He realizes his mistake quickly and relaxes it with a wince. 

 

“I don’t meant to upset you.” Harry reaches out and rubs his shoulder. It takes great willpower not to moan and arch into the gentle touch like a horny cat.

 

“That’s not - just don’t mentioned mothers, fathers, or brothers. OK.”

 

“Family issues?”

 

He doesn’t know why, but he wants to tell Harry everything. In truth, maybe talking will help. 

 

“I’m going to spend Thanksgiving with my family. My biological family. For the first time since Dante’s death.”

 

“They must miss you -”

 

Cisco snorts. “Doubtful. Dante was the apple of my mother’s eye and my father’s pride and joy. They only knew I existed when I acted out, and when they could blame me for his death.”

 

The hand on his shoulder tensed. “That sounds awful.”

 

“Understatement of the century, folks.”

 

“Why even bother then?”

 

Cisco throws his hands up in air. “I don’t know! Mama texted me asking if I could come. Maybe after all these years they finally feel guilty for always treating me like second best, like nothing I could do would ever be good enough. As good as Dante.”

 

The tears were threatening again. He took a deep breath and rested his forehead on his curled hand. He had to hold it together, or he would never make it through the actual event.

 

“You shouldn’t go alone.”

 

“Yeah, well. Everyone else has their own families or - I’m not about to ask Caitlin or Sherloque to get caught up in all that awkwardness.”

 

Harry finally pries his hand off Cisco’s shoulder. “This new Wells -”

 

Cisco holds up a hand. “I’m going to stop you there. Please. Don’t even start.”

 

“I just wanted to know his purpose.”

 

“He’s a detective. Greatest in the multiverse.”

 

“Isn’t. Aren’t. What about Dibny. And Joe West?”

 

“Joe is busy with Cecile and baby. He also hurt his back I think? And Ralph is - Ralph. The two seem to bounce off each other well though, kinda like you and me.”

 

Harry makes a face. Perhaps he’s just horrified any version of himself would want to be around Dibny, much less get along with him.

 

“I’m going.”

 

Cisco blinks at the left field response. “What?”

 

“With you. To your family thing.”

 

“But Jesse, and - and the team -”

 

Harry waves him away. “There’s always Christmas.”

 

They stare each other down. “I’m not gonna be able to talk out of this am I?”

 

“Not a chance in hell.”

 

Too fast, the day was upon them. Cisco met up with Harry at Big Belly before they were headed to his parents’ house. A debriefing was in order. He went over tips like “don’t insult mama’s cooking” and “don’t look papa in the eye for more than two seconds”.

 

“My abuela and tio - uh, grandma and uncle - used to be there as a buffer.”

 

“One Christmas when I -” Cisco’s stomach freezes to icicles as he stopped himself. Harry arches a brow. He realizes he hasn’t told this to Harry. At least, if he wasn’t agreeable, he’d leave and wouldn’t have to witness Cisco’s shitshow of a family.

 

“When I came out as bi, they supported me. Papa was just quiet. Too quiet. Mama was loud. It wasn’t pretty.”

 

“Anyway, my parents would usually try to behave around them. But they’re gone. I’ve never brought a guest before. I’m not sure what they’ll do.”

 

Harry blinks. He hums and says nothing. Cisco takes a deep breath and continues, informing him of traditions and expectations.

 

“Your version of this holiday sounds terribly boring,” Harry comments at the end.

 

“I can’t help you there. You can still back out.”

 

“I’m not leaving you to the wolves, Ramon.”

 

Cisco mockingly puts a hand over his heart. “Isn’t that so sweet? My hero.”

 

Harry’s eyes narrow. “Sarcasm doesn’t work on me as a repellent. You should know that by now.”

 

“It was worth a shot.”

 

Cisco finishes his burger and looks at the clock. In a solemn voice he says, “It’s time.”

 

He probably looks and sounds like he’s headed to the gallows. If Harry notices, he wisely keeps his tongue.

 

When he steps through the door to his house he doesn’t expect to have the breath squeezed out of him. His mother is hugging him tight. She pushes back and holds him by the shoulders. He gapes wordlessly. 

 

“You don’t write, you don’t call. How am I supposed to know you are alive?”

 

His father gives him a stern look, then offers his hand to Harry as though nothing happened. His mother shuffles over to him curiously and makes a fuss.

 

“Francisco never brings any of his friends!”

 

“Wonder why,” Cisco mutters to himself. Luckily his parents don’t notice. Harry is quick to get them drinks. He frowns as Cisco downs his glass in two gulps. He ignores it. He doesn’t need someone else judging him. 

 

Harry seems to zone out throughout most of the evening and most of the meal. Occasionally they whisper about science and films, whispering because his mother doesn’t care to hear about those topics. She’s always made that clear. 

 

They make light conversation with Harry, pretty much ignoring Cisco. He’s surprised that Harry isn’t being an ass, instead using very strained politeness that his parents readily accept as genuine. 

 

Well, Cisco’s just fine with that. It’s better than being bombarded with criticism. Eventually, Harry tries to direct the conversation, talk Cisco up, but his parents artfully dodge his attempts. Cisco shoots him a warning look when he sees Harry’s ears turning red, anger tightening the lines of his face. The last thing he needs is a big scene. It’ll just make the situation worse.

 

After ‘casually’ hitting on the topic of music, papa brings out Cisco’s guitar, and his mother implies he should play something. He glares at the dusty instrument. 

 

“I didn’t know you could play,” Harry says. Cisco grunts. 

 

“It brings back unpleasant memories.” Cisco pointedly does not look at this parents when he says this. 

 

His mother brings the pie out. Harry digs into a piece of pumpkin with gusto. Cisco raises his eyebrows. 

 

He mutters between bites, “Pumpkin - rare on my Earth -” 

 

Harry gets a little whipped cream on the side of his mouth. Before he can think about what he’s doing, Cisco wipes it away with his thumb. Their eyes lock, and he can’t remember how to make his limbs obey commands. Were Harry’s lips always that pink and kissable looking? Cisco licks his lips.

 

He could swear that Harry’s eyes dart to them. 

 

“So.”

 

Cisco’s stomach drops. His hand snaps back to his side as the silence is broken. Nothing good ever happens when mama begins with that. 

 

“Are you done with this superhero business? Clearly you are not truly dead, but you have retired the mantle it seems.”

 

It almost feels like being hit by a semi. “What?”

 

“This ‘Vibe’ business. It is finished?”

 

His internal roof is caving in. He could deny it, but that would probably dig a deeper hole. An awkward laugh is startled out of him. “How - how do you even know about that?”

 

“I know my son! You think you can throw on some goggles and inappropriate leather gear and fool your mama?”

 

“You could’ve died! Our only remaining son! What would Dante think?”

 

Cisco stands up and slams his palms on the table. “Well he isn’t here!”

 

“And whose fault is that?”

 

“It was a car accident,” Cisco growls. However, tears are forming in his eyes. So much for keeping it civil. 

 

“That you and your super powered friends could have prevented.”

 

“We aren’t omniscient.” Technically it’s a near thing for him, but his powers don’t work that way. There’s nothing he could have done, and it’s a constant thorn digging into the back of his mind. There are certain people who might be considered at fault, but the list is too extensive and complicated, because time travel. 

 

He’s worked so hard to move on. To accept he can’t change what’s done. Reverse Flash and Barry become enemies some point in the future. Thawne travels back and kills Barry’s mother. Barry loses his father to Zoom, who comes through dimensional breaches created by Eddie killing himself to erase Reverse Flash. Barry in his grief, ignores all the growth he’d achieved and travels back and changes it anyway.

 

The timeline is shattered beyond recognition and clumsily glued back together, losing Dante through its cracks. It’s not right. It’s not fair. It’s so convoluted, and he couldn’t possibly explain or justify any of it to his parents. He wasn’t even aware they knew he was Vibe until now. 

 

Tears spill down his cheeks. He glances down at the hand caressing his. It’s Harry, gazing at him with concern overlaying barely contained rage. 

 

His mother full on starts to gripe at him in Spanish. Cisco’s world blurs around him, and he doesn’t really register her words. He sinks into his chair, not daring to glance at Harry again. When she pauses, his father jumps in.

 

“Didn’t know we raised you to keep secrets from your parents, boy. Secret vigilante, secret boyfriend, what more? Secrets will only -”

 

Cisco chokes. “Boyfriend?”

 

His mother scoffs. Her expression makes Cisco want to walk out the door without a word. Among other things. “Do you think we are stupid mijo?”

 

Cisco bites his lip. The last thing he needs to do is snark at her. 

 

“His personal life is hardly any of your business,” Harry bites out. “You have no right to suddenly butt in, after all the years you’ve pushed him aside, ignored and belittled him.”

 

She turns to Harry, her face stony. “I won’t have any man in his mid-life having a piece of my unwitting son, talk to me in that manner, in my house.”

 

“Dear.” His father touches her shoulder. 

 

Cisco stands so abruptly his chair falls backward with a thump. He runs to the bathroom. He leans over the sink gasping for breath. It seems they are incapable of anything but insulting him. Regardless if he’s their only child left, regardless that they’re aware he almost died, they only see it as material to use against him, to make him feel worth less. He slaps his palm tight over his mouth to prevent the sound of his sobs escaping. 

 

It seems to be an eternity later when he opens the door a crack and hears voices.

 

“- you refuse to the see the amazing man he’s become. His accomplishments. He puts his life on the line and gets very little thanks, even from his own team.”

 

His eyes widen. That’s Harry. He’s never heard him sound so coarse.

 

“Then what have I done but raised an idiot and a delicate butterfly? He -”

 

“Is too caring for his own good, perhaps. Too kind-hearted, generous, dedicated, and loyal. It’s not his fault. It’s that others should care more, not that he should care less. I love him for many things, his big heart one of them. It’s something I could never match.”

 

Love. It’s not that Harry hasn’t said he loves him before. This is different. He sounds so fired up. Plus, they think he’s already dating Harry. That’ll just put the nail in it for them.

 

“You don’t deserve to look at him! You thought he was dead - and you did what? Sat around wishing he was more like his dead brother?”

 

Cisco winces at that. He can’t see his parents’ faces, but he doubts that went over well. Part of him wants to stop Harry. He can handle his own family problems - sort of - OK not really, but. It’s mortifying that he’s hiding out here while someone else is speaking up for him.

 

Then again, it warms him. He’s never had anyone do that. Mainly because he’s never allowed it. 

 

“You didn’t check with the CCPD, or STAR labs, to find out what happened? I would’ve been outraged. Were that my daughter, I would’ve torn the city apart to get justice for her - not that I would’ve allowed her to be hurt -”

 

“You have a daughter? When did she graduate from college?” Her tone is sickly sweet.

 

Harry responds simply, “Fourteen. I bet your precious Dante didn’t -” 

 

“How dare you speak about him!”

 

“How dare you deny that your youngest is just as good, if not better!”

 

The almost feral quality in their raised voices stirs something fearful in Cisco’s gut. He charges out, throwing himself between them before it can become an all out fist-fight.

 

“That’s enough. Please.”

 

He directs this at Harry. He goes ramrod straight. He runs a hand over his face and sighs.

 

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to - I know you didn’t want me to get involved -”

 

Cisco softens. “It’s fine.”

 

He looks at his parents coldly. He notes papa actually appears chagrined. His mama just looks angry, as though it’s been permanently etched on her face.

 

“We’re done here,” Cisco says. “Permanently. Lose my number. You’ve done nothing but treat me like shit, and somehow it’s only worsened since Dante died. You don’t care about me, only what you want me to be. I’ll never be that. And I’m proud of it.”

 

He turns away, hoping he’ll never see their faces again. Harry gravitates to him.

 

“Cisco,” his father pleads. 

 

Cisco pauses for a moment. They never use his nickname.

 

“I’m sorry.”

 

His mother barks, “Leave then! You’ll regret it when you’re looking at our headstones.”

 

He’s lost friends, teammates, family members, and he’s seen others lose them too. He knows what the pain is like. He doesn’t think he has any place in his heart left for these familiar strangers. Something in him feels sad for what could’ve been. What Harry and Jesse have, Joe and Iris and Barry, so on and so forth.

 

Maybe one day he’ll have his own children, and he’ll make damn sure to give them all the love his parents never truly showed him, equally.

 

“I don’t think I will.” He’s freeing himself from the shackles that were holding him back. A weight he had grown to tolerate is lifted at last. Already he feels so light he could fly. 

 

He does glance at his father, their eyes meeting briefly. His eyes flick between him and Harry. With eyes on them, Harry gathers Cisco in his arms and kisses him. Actually kisses him, on the lips. He melts into it, suppressing his shock, so his parents don’t know the truth.

 

He delights in the disgusted sound his mother makes. When they part, papa gives him a small nod. Harry all but drags his half-limp, numb body out of the house. Once they’re at Cisco’s apartment, he collapses into Harry’s chest. He doesn’t cry, he’s dried himself out for now. He just shakes. 

 

He mumbles, “Thank you. For. Being there. And what you said - you. I got the courage to finally - I couldn’t take it -”

 

Harry rubs his back. “It’s alright. You’ve done nothing wrong. No matter what they said.”

 

“I know. I just. I was convinced for so long that I was a disappointment because I - I wasn’t good enough.”

 

“I was raised not to hit women, but that was a harpy. Full offense. I nearly decked her. If you hadn’t shown up when you did -”

 

Cisco grins up at him. “Now that! I would’ve paid to see.”

 

They both chuckle. There’s a slight hysterical edge to it. The pair pause, just staring in disbelief. A little smile grows on Harry’s face. 

 

“Cisco - do you dance?”

 

Cisco tilts his head. “I mean. When the rhythm hits me hard.”

 

Harry snorts. “I mean like, waltzing, tango, slow dance. Couple dances.”

 

“Uh. Dante showed me something once. But I never went to school dances or prom.”

 

“Prom?” Harry shakes his head. “Is that the same as Spring Formal? Anyway.” Harry hooks up Cisco’s phone to the bluetooth speaker and puts on a lovely smooth melody. He holds out his hand.

 

Cisco looks at it like a snake ready to bite him. “What? Where is this coming from?”

 

Harry opens his mouth. Then he shakes his head. “Let’s say a thing on my Earth that escapes you, and leave it that?”

 

Cisco grins. “I’m good!” 

 

Harry pulls Cisco in. Suddenly, he’s so real, stark and gritty. He catalogues every wrinkle and mole, the shape of his jaw, the tint of his beautiful blue eyes, the direction his hair curls. They glide around the apartment, under Harry’s effortless lead. As the song switches, Harry lets Cisco take the lead. It’s a bit of an adjustment with the height difference, but it works.

 

Cisco giggles as his moves edge toward sensual, hips swaying and jerking. Harry laughs and gasps when Cisco casually rocks against him. Things gradually slow down again, and the little space between them disappears. 

 

He nuzzles into Harry’s neck, comforted by his firm hands and crisp scent.

 

He’s not sure who moves first, but they find each other’s lips again, secure in a loving embrace. 

 

“I’m so thankful to spend this evening with you, sweetheart,” Harry whispers when they reluctantly part.

 

“Likewise.”


End file.
